A family transformed: A sponsor’s awareness trip reflection

Amy and Ben Luebbering stand with their sponsored friend Lucia from India.

Amy Luebbering and her husband, Ben, have been sponsors for six years. They recently got the chance to participate in an Unbound Awareness Trip to India and shared their experience with us.

Our awareness trip to India was the most memorable, amazing time we have ever spent. The beautiful faces of those happy children, their joyful singing and dancing, their eagerness to meet us, to touch us, to have their picture taken with us, all these things filled us with joy.

Though we weren’t “their” sponsors, we represented all sponsors, and they loved us as though we had been writing them letters for years.

When our very own child, Lucia, came to us, her eyes shining with excitement, and sat beside us for the program, we were overwhelmed with gratitude — gratitude that we’d stuck our necks out to sponsor a child, that we’d taken the time to write and send pictures, and gratitude that we got to see her in the flesh.

As we held hands, Lucia would turn to me with her dark, serious eyes and say one English sentence at a time. First it was to ask about our grandchildren. Later she told me she “really liked me.” We talked as easily as though we’d always known one another.

The day we were saying goodbye to Lucia and her family, all of us were teary. Her father clasped our hands and said that his family would always remember and treasure this day. We assured him that we would, too.

The trip to India made us realize how much can be accomplished with a mere $30 a month. We are not changing just one life, but the life of an entire family.

We witnessed this with every sponsored child we visited. We will never again spend money frivolously without contrasting what it would mean to a family! I’d rather give hope to a family than to drink 10 lattes.

Amy and Ben,
You’re experience echo mine from the Oct India trip to the northern and central region. I learned the same lesson of the value of the basic sponsorship, the letters and occasional additional donations. My wife and I, through Unbound, have donated the funds to enable our children’s families to purchase sewing machines for livelihood efforts or instruments for the children. The relationship grows and becomes even more personal once you meet the children and families.

Bless your sponsorship and congratulations on your decision to go on the MAT. Thank you for sharing your experience. India is wonderful.
Steve Taylor